Republican incumbent Danny R. Bubp is running unopposed for the District 88 seat in the Ohio House of Representatives.

“Running with no opponent makes me feel very blessed because I went through a difficult primary campaign,” he said in an Oct. 17 telephone interview. “It was also difficult for the supporters. It was unfortunate because it detracted from my mission to spread my message and accomplish my goals. Running unopposed enables me to focus on the people of my district instead of a re-election campaign.”

He says that he is anxious to get back to work in improving the lives of his constituents; the 88th District encompasses all of Brown County and portions of Clermont and Adams Counties.

When Bubp starts his second term in the House of Representatives legislature, he says that there are many things that he wants to accomplish.

“My primary goal will be to improve the state’s economy by creating jobs,” he said. “We have made some progress, but there is still more to be done.”

Bubp currently sits on the House Ways and Means Committee that recently reduced the five-year income tax to four years.

“We know that cutting taxes stimulates the economy. For example, reducing the capital gains tax would earmark more revenue for many other programs important to the people who I represent.”

Over the summer, the number one complaint that Bubp received from those in his district concerned gas prices and illegal immigration.

“The price of gas upsets everyone. Lately, the price has decreased, but for those of us who live in Adams County and have to drive to Cincinnati every day to work, it has not decreased enough. The state level does not have much control over the cost of fuel, but we are working on alternative fuel sources (such as soybeans and corn) to help ease the cost to consumers.”

Bubp said that consumers also need to be protected from the gas price disparity from village to village and city to city.

“People want to know how the price of gas can be different from store to store within the same five mile radius,” he said. “The issue needs to be explored and I will be looking at this disparity very closely.”

Bubp says that prices for everything keep going up and up, so the economy (including tax breaks he feels will stimulate the economy), is his number one priority.

In his first term, Bubp, in addition to those tax breaks, was focused on veterans issues, such as benefits for college tuition and death benefits for veteran’s families.

He is also currently working on legislation to change, or at least modify, the state’s concealed weapon carry law which now states that guns must be in plain sight while driving in a car; he feels that this stipulation while driving a car defeats the purpose of a concealed weapon.

“This is why I have co-sponsored House Bill #347 which changed the law. The House has passed it (the bill is now in the Senate). I am passionate about this issue. I know that my supporters are also passionate about their second amendment right to bear arms in protecting their families. We are concerned that Governor Taft will veto the state’s amended law, so we will continue working on this issue.”

Another issue that Bubp intends to work on is illegal immigration.

In his second term, Bubp said that he will be mindfully working on House Bill #657 (the Workforce Protection and Illegal Alien Immigration Act) which will protect all Americans by ensuring that illegal immigrants do not immediately step to the front of the line in competing for jobs.

“With my background in the Marine Corps, this issue is especially interesting to me. Our southern border is not secure; the security implications of not sealing this border should be of concern to everyone. So we are committed to focusing on illegal immigration; it is a serious problem. I am not opposed to immigration, only the illegal ways and methods that illegal aliens use to gain entry into our country and then compete for jobs.”

In addition to the Ways and Means Committee, Bubp also sits on the Criminal Justice Committee (Bubp is an attorney), the Judiciary Committee, the Local and Municipal Government and Urban Revitalization Committee, and he serves as the vice-chair of the Transportation, Public Safety, and Homeland Security Committee.